UP hospital fire: 10 children dead, 16 struggle for life after fire breaks out at Jhansi Medical College

At least 10 children have died in a fire at the pediatric ward of a medical college in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh, while 16 other injured people are fighting for their lives.

District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar said the fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College on November 15 around 10.45 pm possibly due to an electrical short circuit.

The children who were in the outer part of the NICU were rescued, along with some children who were in the inner part. “Prima facie, there is information about the death of 10 children,” the DM said.

Divisional Commissioner Jhansi Bimal Kumar Dubey said there were around 30 children in the indoor ward of the NICU and most of them were rescued.

Sudha Singh, Superintendent of Police, Jhansi, said another 16 children who sustained injuries were undergoing treatment. There were more than 50 children admitted to the NICU when the incident occurred. She also agreed with the DM about the possible electrical short behind the fire.

Footage from the medical college showed panicked patients and their caregivers being evacuated, while several police personnel assisted in rescue and relief measures.

Expired fire extinguishers were found at the hospital’s NICU, while safety alarms also failed to sound, delaying the evacuation, a report by India Today said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took notice of the incident and directed district administration officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

“The death of children in an accident that took place at the NICU of Jhansi District Medical College is extremely sad and heartbreaking. The district administration and concerned officials have been directed to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” he wrote on X (formally Twitter). He also wished speedy recovery of the injured.

The CM directed Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey and Deputy Inspector General (Jhansi Police Range) Kalanidhi Naithani to submit a report on the issue within 12 hours.

Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the healthcare portfolio, said he was heading to Jhansi. He said the incident was extremely graphic and heartbreaking.

The district’s police chief said while 10 children died and others were rescued or found injured, there was also evidence that some parents took their children home after the fire broke out in the NICU. She said police were making efforts to verify the number of children in the NICU and their current status.

“The medical college has said that 52 to 54 children were admitted at the time of the incident. 10 of them have died, 16 are undergoing treatment while verification for others is underway,” SSP Singh said. The NICU rescue operation has been completed, she added.

Reimbursements

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of children and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000, the PMO said.

“Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” Modi said in a statement message on X from the PMO.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the parents of the newborn babies, who died in the incident, and Rs 50,000 each to the family members of the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, the Uttar government said Pradesh in a statement.

(With inputs from PTI)